What is everyone's current thoughts on the "Best Small Car"?

[Zak33]

Lo people

If you were about to hit the showrooms and forecourts for a new or nearly new small car, what would your short list be, prior to visiting the dealers?

Maybe..5 cars you'd go see?

I'l not suggest any... down to you!

[DanceswithUnix]

How small is small?

Yaris
Mito
Fiat 500, the TwinAir engined one is supposed to be fun.

[kalniel]

5 door Fiesta titanium 1.0 ecoboost + MR165 mountune package
Audi S1
Mini Cooper
Suzuki swift sport
Caterham 7

[Guy]

Fiesta (Ecoboost or ST)
1 Series
Fabia
Swift
Jazz

[smargh]

"Best"? I shall assume no budget.

I would contact Koenigsegg to tell them to build the best small car ever made. I would obviously not bother asking how much it might cost. In a years time I would then get on a plane to their showroom to buy it.

I need defined limits when asked for "the best" anything, otherwise I will get the most flawless object that humankind could possibly manufacture for the specifed category.

If Koenigsegg is too much.... then a nice little Honda would suffice, I suppose. Or maybe an Ariel Atom Nomad - they're small.

[kalniel]

"Best"? I shall assume no budget.

I would contact Koenigsegg to tell them to build the best small car ever made. I would obviously not bother asking how much it might cost. In a years time I would then get on a plane to their showroom to buy it.

I need defined limits when asked for "the best" anything, otherwise I will get the most flawless object that humankind could possibly manufacture for the specifed category.

If Koenigsegg is too much.... then a nice little Honda would suffice, I suppose. Or maybe an Ariel Atom - they're small.

Well I guess the assumption is it must be in a showroom/forecourt.

[Phage]

Aerial atom ?
Polo GTI

[Butcher]

Question is a little broad, but I'd probably start with a fiesta.
Or you know, my car (GT86), I guess it's a small car, but maybe not quite what you're after.

[stevie lee]

well small for me is bigger than what you'd consider small. I've got long legs, especially the bit up to my knee, so cant fit in the majority of small small cars because I cant fit under the steering wheel.
so..

fiesta
Hyundai i20
jazz (just to see if I fit in it, looked a bit tight when I was in passenger seat once)

next smallest are the Civic, mazda 3 and focus.

[Moby-Dick]

Yet another vote for the Fiesta.

[Dareos]

Definitely fiesta. Preferably ST but that's just for fun. Polo, Ibiza . mini

[DanceswithUnix]

mini

I wouldn't call the new Mini a small car. Let's hope they don't try and re-invent the Maxi, it would be the size of a Humvee

[Zak33]

awesome answers so far

I reason I didnt tell you what "small" meant is because it's all relative to your requirements and the traditional way is to say "such as a xxxxx" and that is wrong to do.

Keep them coming people

[Zak33]

try to keep the choices recent models too... genuine showroom .. current now.

[ik9000]

There's a 2nd hand place with a rusty Morris Minor down the road from where I live. Will that do?

[scaryjim]

... try to keep the choices recent models too...

Eh, that puts my favourite small car of all time out of the running then: Seat Arosa 1.4TDi.

tbh since I onyl really drive hire cars nowadays I get to pootle about in a wide range of small cars, and none of the small ones have stood out as particularly good to me. Best car I've driven in the last year or so was a Fiat 500L, and I wouldn't call that small.

Having a quick browse of manufacturer website there's nothing exciting in what I'd call small cars (imo the modern Corsa/Fiesta class isn't small anymore; they're definitely in the family hatch bracket). I'll stick to pedal power for now, I think